We can be the first sustainable generation

1. Are we the last generation – or the first sustainable one?

You won't find a more effective dose of optimism this week: Hannah Ritchie makes the case that we have an incredibly exciting opportunity before us: to become the first ever generation to live sustainably. It won't be easy, and we're falling short in many ways, but it's doable. I've featured Hannah's work several times here (and she also guest curated an issue). This talk encapsulates all of it. 13 minutes, extremely well spent.

Are we the last generation -- or the first sustainable one?

The word “sustainability” gets thrown around a lot these days. But what does it actually mean for humanity to be sustainable? Environmental data scientist Hannah Ritchie digs into the numbers behind human progress across centuries, unpacking why the conventional understanding of sustainability is mi…

TED TalksHannah Ritchie

2. 24 hours in the invisible epidemic

I've always been fascinated by the dataset that details how Americans are spending their days, minute by minute. Visualising large quantities of deeply personal data in a way that feels human and empathetic is difficult. This interactive piece does a terrific job of turning the all these numbers into a story about loneliness, its impact on happiness, and ultimately: health.

24 hours in an invisible epidemic

Watch 24 hours of an American day, and the invisible crisis hiding in plain sight

The PuddingThe Pudding

3. Never past your prime! 13 peaks we reach at 40 or later

A recommendation completely unrelated to my own age: a list of good qualities we peak at beyond age 40. Some interesting ones: Our arithmetic skills peak at around 50, we're nicest to others after reaching 60, our confidence in our own body is highest at 74 for women and 80 for men, and peak happiness comes at the tender age of 82. On average, that is.

Never past your prime! 13 peaks we reach at 40 or later – from sex to running to self-esteem

Ageing doesn’t have to mean slowing down. In fact, you’re more likely to win an ultramarathon in midlife, not to mention get happier, wiser and more body confident

The GuardianEmma Beddington

4. How Chinese citizens use puns to get past internet censors

Have you ever heard of the rice bunny movement? Probably not, as you don't need to evade Chinese censors and can call it by its better known name: #MeToo. This is an interesting, nicely illustrated piece on all the creativity censorship sparks.

How Chinese citizens use puns to get past internet censors

Chinese social media companies and users are locked in a never-ending battle between free speech and censorship.

Rest of WorldMeaghan Tobin

5. The Magical Japanese Art of Luggage Forwarding

An ode to takkyu-bin. In Japan, apparently (and: obviously!), you never need to carry your luggage to whatever's your next destination. You can simply have it forwarded for you, for a small fee. I know this exists in Switzerland as well, sort of, but it's expensive and not very flexible. In Japan, no hotel or guest house too small to offer it.

The Magical Japanese Art of Luggage Forwarding

Please don’t roll your big bags around town

Craig ModCraig Mod

What else?

• Staggering numbers: Every day, humans kill hundreds of millions of animals for meat.
• An old gem, rediscovered: the book design of the six-volume «The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire»
• Heavy metal band or realtime map of lightning strikes? Blitzortung
• The last device you buy before being sent off to the human energy harvesting colonies.
• Stunning 3D mural by Danila Shmelev
• Not much to see here except spinning bowls of Ramen, but honestly what more do you need?
• You never know when this comes in handy: how to draw a drop of water.

The Future of...Work

Remote screens flicker,
AI and humans blend—
Work's new frontier calls.

A gem from the archive

A fascinating, and surprisingly wholesome, journey down the rabbit hole of Spotify spam. How some artists rack up millions of plays for their songs even though nobody knows them (if you think you know the answer: No, sneaking songs into playlists is for beginners).

#183 The Venova King | Reply All

This week, a Super Tech Support: a listener’s Spotify Wrapped is dominated by a mysterious artist she’s never heard of and swears she’s never listened to. And the songs she supposedly played are even weirder. Emmanuel investigates.

GimletReply All

Thanks for reading. I wish you a nice weekend and hope to see you again next Friday!

— David 👋